Helena Yang
EcoDesign Strategy
1. Innovation
- Maybe the keyboard can be made thinner and be collapsible so that it can fold in half so
that it would take up less space and be detached from the main laptop
-If the keyboard could then be hooked up to other apple products such as the iPad or
iPhone that many Mac laptop users have, then one keyboard could be used for multiple
gadgets.
- The LED lights in the keyboard could light up a different color, say green, when the laptop
is done charging so that the user is reminded to unplug the battery to save electricity
2. Reduced Materials Impact
- The plastic used to make the keyboard could be from recycled plastic from the town it is
being manufactured in, instead of mining oil and using natural gases to create new plastic
then transporting them to the processing site
-When trucks need to ship materials from one processing site to another manufacturing
site for instance, using a hybrid truck would save fuel and lower the company’s carbon
footprint
-The unused aluminum used for the base of the keyboard after it is carved can be recycled
and passed on to a local restaurant to make aluminum tables or stools
3. Manufacturing Innovation
-The processing plant could invest in passive heating and cooling systems with solar panels
or even wind power that could be used to power all the different machines needed to make
the keyboard in the same processing factory instead of using fossil fuels to heat plastic for
instance
-If the aluminum was extracted in Texas, than it could be processed and manufactured in
Texas too at the same factory so that there would be less shipping of materials back and
forth and wasting gas
- A machine that could both mold the plastic of the keys and shape the aluminum casing at
once, then there could be less steps in order to produce the keyboard
4. Reduced Distribution Impacts
-When the keyboards are boxed away, the cardboards used could be of recycled paper
instead from local towns
-If the keyboard was packaged and assembled in China and needed to be shipped back to
the US, it could be shipped together with other parts of the laptop such as the charger could
fit in the same cardboard box, especially if the new keyboard was collapsible
-Instead of using plastic bubble wrap, the keyboards can be wrapped in corrugated bubble
wrap, which is biodegradable and compostable.
5. Reduced Behavior and Use Impacts
-Instead of the LED lights in the keyboard becoming brighter when the environment is
dark, the keyboard lights could automatically turn off after it has not been used for about
10 minutes, assuming the user forgot to shut off the laptop and thus saving battery/energy
-The keyboard should also be made so the user can access the battery easily and replace it
instead of having to drive to the store to get it fixed since now the laptops have certain
small screws that make it difficult for the user to open the back of the keyboard themselves
-If the keyboard was detachable from the laptop, then the screen should also shut down if
the keyboard is removed to conserve power
6. System Longevity
-Every component of the keyboard should be easily replaceable so that the user does not
have to purchasing an entire new keyboard, which would also waste more energy to
produce a whole new keyboard
-The collapsible keyboard should still be as appealing as other apple products with sleek
black or white flat keys so that the user will not feel the need to purchase other keyboards
or laptops that are more attractive
- Because the keyboard is thin, it is important the aluminum case is still durable so that if it
is accidentally dropped it will not break easily
7. Transitional Systems
-The keyboard can be recycled if it does get old or worn out, and the materials from it will
be used to create another keyboard
-If the user does not want to part with their keyboard and it was collapsible into a square
or rectangle with the aluminum casing on the outside, they could use it as a durable coaster
or paperweight
--The metal and plastic from the keyboard can be recycled and used to make other
products like water bottles, chairs, house appliances and for local home good stores
8. Optimized End of Life
-The keyboard can be returned to the Apple store to be recycled and used in other apple
products or keyboard
-User could also disassemble the collapsible part of the keyboard and use the screws to fix
up another appliance
-When the metal gets melted instead of using fossil fuels the company could again invest in
solar energy or wind power energy instead